Wednesday, February 8, 2012

Battleworld - Legion of Demnos design notes

Hivelands Theme Song: "Planet X Marks the Spot" - Dr. Steel

Characters

Demnos, First of Legion
Theme Song: "Glutton" - Dr. Steel

Age 1457
Ht: 6'5"
Wt: 220 lbs.
B/W/H: Lean-muscled
Hand: Ambidextrous
Eyes: Dark brown
Skin: Pale
Hair: Long and blonde, black eyebrows
Musculature: Long, lean and lanky but behind that arm and leg length is an intensely dense musculature. As such he prefers hand-to-hand attack not only due to his prowess in them but mainly for the sheer pleasure of causing such intense pain personally.

Demeanor: Can be stern and serious at times, but is mostly mischievously malevolent. Is even known to be something of a bully to his own supporters, but his charisma (at least to those within the Legion) is undeniable. Even without his psionic abilities (and indeed, for a short time he was outside of the Hivemind, unable to access his psychic powers) he has an intensely physical presence that both intimidates as it mesmerizes.

Description: A raging sadist and narcissistic as fuck, Demnos increased his psionic powers through the creation of a hivemind, his strength growing in direct relation tot he size of his cult. He now stands at the point where he can be psionically charged and empowered with the need of the hivemind, but keeps it around due to his word.

Yes, he's a sadistic prick, but he's an honorable one. The word of Demnos is stronger than the foundation of reality, and he is well known for returning the favor even to enemies who have aided the Legion in the past.

As such, he (and by association, the Legion) are fiercely neutral, striking out only when they can be assured of a victory and resource gains. For some reason the Legion highly values Horde targets and have attacked them the most out of any other kingdom. He's somewhat ambivalent towards the Goblinate forces, and while he's been somewhat neutral towards the Krieg Army ever since they crash-landed on the planet, the Legion was for the longest time considered a direct threat to Tokyo Two.

He usually wears extremely loose robes, proudly displaying a whole lot of that light-skinned lanky musculature, and he moves like a ghost amongst the various gatherings and castes of the Northlands. Usually the robe is of tunic-like material and almost all white, his feet sheathed in padded samite. His hands have been described as being that of an artist, and while he's not afraid to get dirty (indeed in his line of work he HAS to) he's gone to great lengths to ensure their cleanliness, almost bordering on obsessive-compulsiveness. He publicly wears a black choker and the ring that connects him spiritually to Queen Lazuli, both gifts from the very same woman.

Within his deep, dark eyes lays equally dark secrets. The Legion has been around on this planet for some time now, and he has since learned things that even the Horde has forgotten...things that may spell ultimate victory in his, and the Legion's, favor.

He is Demnos. Soon, so shall you.

Note: The Hivemind isn't what normal people would consider a "perfect gestalt," that is a perfect blending of every mind within the organization but, rather, a mental link that exists between each person within the Hivemind, all attempting to live up to the standard of being Demnos. It's, literally, a society that has the pressure of one personality opposed over all others, for all that individual tastes and fashions exist. Possibly because of this strange dual-layering of personalities, the need for entertainment and passing fads are even greater amongst the Hivelands than anywhere else, and merchants love this place because they can offload trinkets, toys, puzzles and games as quickly as they can pick up new stuff from here.

Tertius
Theme Song: "Spin Spin Sugar" - Sneaker Pimps

Age 117
Ht: 5'11"
Wt: *shoots the interviewer*
B/W/H: 36/24/30
Hand: Left-handed
Eyes: Blue
Skin: Olive
Hair: Red hair worn long.
Musculature: Due to her constant training, she's actually quite impressively muscled for her size and assumed weight. In one particular skirmish, she even gave the great Makiko Kraze a spot of trouble when the battle boiled down to sheer hand-to-hand prowess.

Demeanor: As silent and foreboding as her little brother is spunky and bubbling. She's actually quite anti-social and would rather take up hobbies and training that focuses on silence and inward-meditation. Because of her experience and introspective training, she's risen up the ranks to become the head of the Holy Order of Gun Knights. Actually has a severe hatred of Devon Shrike, and refuses her little brother to ever talk to him.

Description: The siblings Tertius and Secundus (not their real names, but their given names within the Legion) are the pinnacle of Legion biotechnology, the perfect blending of human DNA and otherworldly powers. As such they are the first generation of humans born already into the Hivemind, the perfect examples of Legionnaire soldiers.

On the other hand, they each both have glaringly opposite personalities and preferences, though they remain close as siblings even today. Appearing to be a young, healthy, muscular woman in her mid-twenties, Tertius' extreme training and powerful agility has seen to it that she has yet to suffer a single scar, dancing about the battlefield while dispensing death with an eager and bloodthirsty hand. While fighting, her very eyes and aura radiates with pure bloodlust. On a day-to-day basis she prefers quieter hobbies such as gardening, painting and playing the violin.

Despite her standing in the Hivemind, she prefers to wear the olive green and dark browns of the military cast, never forgetting her days as a soldier leading up to becoming a Gun Knight.

Because of how stern she is (especially considering her brother's ways), no one knows that she actually really does enjoy a good time and wants to hang out, she's just very quiet and slightly shy.

Secundus
Theme Song: "Cherry Lips" - Garbage

Age 113
Ht: 5'5"
Wt: 150 lbs.
B/W/H: Lightly, lithely muscled all over. In the proper clothes he can even look curvier than his older sister.
Hand: Right-handed.
Eyes: Red
Skin: Olive
Hair: Dark blue hair cut short.
Musculature: As note before, he's far more effeminate-shaped than his older sister, something he takes advantage of from time to time to mess with her erstwhile lovers.

Demeanor: Bubbly, spunky, happy and peppy. Seems to be in his early twenties. He can also be loud, brash and abrasive if given a chance, though no one could ever tell with a face as cute as his. He can easily pass for a girl until it's time to take the clothes off - no amount of trickery can hide the defined lines of his muscles and the various scars he's earned through battle. Despite the difference in training and musculature when compared to his sister, he actually has a higher vitality than she does (though he's not as strong as she) and is known for bulling his way through blades and arrows in order to happily point-blank a target.

Description: Trap trap trap trap. Even the Hivemind cannot tell you EVERYTHING about every individual you meet, and he takes advantage of this by dressing up from time to time. He's also a lazonic guitarist and back-up singer in a band, and his various actions while in said band have been nothing short of scandalous, though acceptable as an entertaining diversion, to the populace.

Far wilder than his sister, yet loves her with a deep earnestness that is rarely found within the Legion. Even as old as he is he has never stopped doting on his older sister, and she's the only person known to be able to truly control him when he starts to go overboard.

The only person he's as devoted to is Demnos himself, and has been known to be Lazuli's plaything from time to time.

Due to his particular take on fighting, his body is covered in a number of impressive battle scars, scars that he loves to show off on-stage.

Proudly wears silver and blue in all of his clothing, denoting his place amongst the Hivemind.

Age: 32
Ht: 6'1"
Wt: 250 lbs.
B/W/H: Heavy/Heavy/Powerful
Hand: Left-handed
Eyes: Gold
Skin: tanned
Hair: Has long black hair tied back in a neat ponytail, his clipped sideburns leading into a along-the-jaw beard (y'know, the "jockstrap") and goatee. It's well-known that he's dyed his hair ever since the Battle of Arcanum.
Musculature: Heavily muscled, a real bearstrong type. Despite his "man who wrestles bears" physique, he's incredibly fast and agile, almost like coiled springs were in his legs. Hairy as hell all over.

Demeanor: A real loud kinda guy who has an immensely physical presence. The moment he walks into a room he usually just takes up space, and has been known to start fights for fun. A real mercenary at heart, though he plays his cards close to his chest and never explains his actions. Can be a real asshole at times, and will gladly kill as many as needed to accomplish the goals of his superiors. Desperately wants to join the Hivemind but, for whatever his reasons, Demnos has yet to fully brainwash him, only enough to hear Demnos' thoughts and feel the "brush" of others' minds against his.

Description: A real whirling bastard in his own right with two decades of dirty tricks and combat capabilities under his belt, he's only somewhat recently joined the Legion of Demnos as a freelancer. Beforehand he was his younger sister's right-hand-man and second-in-command, their mercenary company renown throughout the lands as the only company able to withstand even a Krieg Army attack and survive.

Their parents dead from a border skirmish, Devon raised his little sister from a cute little girl into a cute little mercenary warleader, training her until she began to surpass him in both martial arts and weaponry, delighting in her psionic capabilities even as she took control of their parents' mercenary company.

Little is known as to why he switched sides to the Legion, but the Battle of Arcanum has left a miasma about him, so much so that some within the Legion have even begun to ostracize him.

Age 1000
Ht: 6'5"
Wt: 220 lbs.
B/W/H: Lean-muscled
Hand: Ambidextrous
Eyes: Lavender. Wears glasses.
Skin: Pale
Hair: Short-cut blonde hair, grizzly muttonchops and is usually seen with a five o'clock shadow even in the morning.
Musculature: Long, lean and lanky but behind that arm and leg length is an intensely dense musculature. Despite his bitterness and hatred of, apparently, everyone he nevertheless employs a rough and rugged style of martial arts, using his steam pistol "Edge Blaster" whenever ranged attacks are necessary. Otherwise he's actually quite ambivalent about battle in and of itself, and it shows in how he takes care of himself - though he dresses sloppily, underneath his lab coat he's actually quite lean.

Demeanor: Bitter, cynical, spiteful, hate-filled. Normally growls at his co-workers and aides, but has never been known to be abusive to them and is even willing to listen, though he's far from approachable. A grump at the best of times, downright assholish and antagonistic at the worst.

Description: A man whose leash is held tightly by Demnos. A man with a short fuse, a hair trigger, and a suicide switch that has been temporarily disabled simply because it amuses his superior.

Once again, a higher council member who is outside the Legion, Dr. Neuroid's origins and what his relationship to Demnos lays in mystery and no one within the Hivemind has dared to broach the subject. Most find his company bearable, even enjoyable under certain conditions (he has a severe love of reading and literature, and also is something of a connoisseur of coffee and is well known amongst such shops), but none will dare naysay Demnos in his derogatory treatment of Neuroid.

Neuroid has no love nor loyalty to Demnos and, if pushed hard enough, will point out that the only reason why he hasn't betrayed Demnos yet is because the Legion might suffer because of it.

He's secretly something of a celebrity to the Hivemind, and is actually quite well-received by the people despite his normal grizzliness, something they usually just accept.

Demnos usually forces him to wear nothing but his day-to-day accouterments even into battle, and there is a geas forcing him to never take off his Hive Rings, that and the slave collar a constant reminder of his place within the Legion (even though he's on the High Council). Furthermore his gloves bear the name of Lazuli, much like the ring Demnos wears constantly, and there appears to be something of a love triangle between Demnos, Neuroid, and Lazuli.

The Professor
Theme Song: "Obscure" - Dir en Grey

Age ???
Ht: 7'11"
Wt: It fluctuates between 300 and 5000, though he never seems to visibly gain weight.
B/W/H: He's one long, thin lank. Seriously.
Hand: Which one? He can grow more arms and hands as he wishes.
Eyes: A kaleidoscope of colors, but wears shaded glasses to hide them. In combat, they change to a otherworldly, vivid teal color.
Skin: White.
Hair: Choppy, messes, shabbily-cut orange.
Musculature: Musculature doesn't seem to really matter with him. His strength and weight fluctuates on his whims, but he always looks the same - horrifyingly skinny for someone so tall, one could even consider him emaciated-looking.

Demeanor: Loves bad puns, horrible humor, naughty limericks and always has that shark-toothed slasher smile. Every part of him radiates creep, and he pretty much lives to make other people squirm. Is the only person who can noticeably get a rise out of Demnos, and is the only person in the Legion who cannot be "accessed" by anyone else other than Demnos. Will chuckle at pretty much anything, even if he's captured or is in a bad predicament.

Description: Obsessed with his work, ever increasing his store of knowledge and as skilled in battle as he is at creeping his own comrades out, The Professor is a warehouse of horroshow just waiting to be unleashed. His very aura makes people uneasy to be around him, and his inner sanctum (located in an incredibly haunted mansion in Zed-2) has only ever been seen by Demnos himself. The "Demon of the Hivemind" has a knowledge that goes beyond human tenacity, and it's been suggested that this knowledge has twisted him to become the man that's presented today.

Despite appearances and that whole weight/strength foible, one could almost think him to be completely human on a good day when his morbid sense of humor has been provoked.

Then that creepy, ghastly smile begins. His fingers can bend backwards and this way and that, all in unnatural ways.

Then he starts to grow more arms and hands, sometimes out of places where they have no business growing out of.

Then the music begins and he starts to give that horrible, awful chuckle of his, his eyes glowing wrongly.

Not badly, not differently.

Just wrong.

Immortal Lazuli (second-in-command)
Theme Song: "Decollage" - Alizee

Age Endless
Ht: 5'5"
Wt: DOOOOHOHOHOHOHO!
B/W/H: 34/28/34
Hand: Right handed, but will sometimes forget and use her left hand
Eyes: Black
Skin: Pale
Hair: Black, plaited in many braids with a golden coif-thingy
Musculature: lightly muscled, she's all soft curves and delicious natural padding

Demeanor: A strangely lusty Overpowered who has thrown her chips in with Demnos on this world. Will laugh loudly at any questions she doesn't want answered, and can laugh so long that it can drive people insane - she's only ever had to use this twice though. Has her own mysterious history, her background unknown to the Legion even as she dwells deep within it.

Is a proud member of the Hivemind and supposedly won the privilege by beating Demnos in a game of chess, something which he'll only smirk if asked about.

Is the Queen of the Legion, and apparently has enough experience with being royalty for it to show. She can be haughty at times, and while she doesn't demand the finer things in life they seem to be given to her anyway.

Description: An Overpowered whose name isn't unknown to the Extreme Existence or the Spatial Witches, her powers and abilities (nor how she's come to be Immortal) are largely kept a secret. Like any good Overpowered, she keeps the origin and nature of her strengths hidden and instead relies mostly on her offworlder guns, Fafnir and Fenrir. Even they seem to be rather strange, able to fire without the need to be reloaded, able to shoot energy bullets and can even produce from the bottom of the grip and along the sides of the barrel. Even more so, they can only be fired by her, responding not at all to anyone else' touch save for those who bear her favors.

Despite her place in the Hivemind, none can ever truly penetrate her mind, a psionic wall blocking all attempts.

She can be as cruel as Demnos, but favors more people than he does and is a celebrity in her own right amongst the Legion. While she has more than a few lovers (though it's only ever rumored that she and Dr. Neuroid are doing anything other than reading together), she remains true to her promises and is utterly loyal to Demnos above all.

In a sense, even in a twisted and perverted society such as the Legion, there can be true love as well.

Honestly and fervently believes that Demnos will ascend to become an Overpowered, with or without Nepthis' help.

Description: He's a bear with a jetpack who's in the Legion. Everyone just accepts that he's there, even if no one knows his backstory either.

Is a valued and high-ranking member of Demnos' closest council, and is highly feared for his incredible mobility in the heat of battle.

He's a bear that can fly with a jetpack. Every other kingdom just wishes they had him instead of the Legion.

Demnos is pleased.

Wears a bear-sized three-piece business suit and tie when not in combat. Strangely enough he really REALLY likes clockwork gears.

Angelender Candysong
Theme Song: "Barbie Girl" - Aqua

Age 16
Ht: 5'0"
Wt: 2 tons
B/W/H: Cute/Cute/Cute
Hand: Right.
Eyes: Gold
Skin: Silver
Hair: Prefers a pageboy bob-cut, but can trade her her out for any number of looks. The hair itself is composed of highly-flexible, incredibly lightweight steel (like any mechanoid with her payroll). Like other mechanoids, she can change her jewelry out or pin them to her collarbone depending on her mood.
Musculature: She's a mechanoid who's shaped like a teenaged girl.

Demeanor: As happy and peppy as she is cute, she's one of the few mechanoid-robotic types that Demnos doesn't seem to berate nor allow to be spoken to in a derogatory fashion. It was she who developed the Zeppelin Bombers, and her own, "Astral," is the lead ship amongst their infamous fleet.

Can be bratty at times but for whatever reason she has Demnos' favor, though it's suggested that their relationship is more father-daughter than anything, with Sirius being her Favorited (and overprotective) uncle.

Description: Don't let the cute looks fool you - this isn't any sexbot. Considering that she numbers amongst her family the strongest person in the entire Hivemind and the chosen leader of the Robotics, she's numbered as one of the most powerful people in the entirety of the Hivelands.

She has also earned many commendations based solely on her performance though, her keen combat skills and the overpowered strength of the Bombers (her brainchild) earning her favor amongst the people as well as the High Council.

It's rumored that she's dating Secundus and, like all teenagers, she can be unerringly naivete at times, which thoroughly explains why she's kept unaware of the growing tension between the Hivemind and those of the Robotics.

Sirius Havenbrook
Theme Song: "Greenback Dollar" - The Kingston Trio

Age supposedly 58
Ht: 8'0"
Wt: 10 tons
B/W/H: Wide/trim (in proportion to the rest of him)/sturdy
Hand: Ambidextrous
Eyes: Red, can turn pitch-black when he's activated for combat
Skin: Gold
Hair: Black, very vaudeville style, and he is almost never without his tophat and monocle. Has a pencilstache, because fuck you if you don't understand, that's why.
Musculature: His internal structure is made up of clockwork gears and crystals. He's as top of the line as it gets amongst the Robotics. Otherwise he resembles a mountain of muscle.

Demeanor: Actually quite charming and outspoken, he believes very strongly that Robotics (sentient robots, mechanoids, and cyborgs) should be given equal rights and freedoms like the Hivemind. He fights very strongly to do away with the derogatory terms such as "Supporter" and "Hivemind Enabler" in order to create a more equal future for both sides. Still, despite his friendliness with Demnos he's incredibly wary of the man, and will sometimes even be at complete odds with him.

It's been noted that the two act more like old friends than master and servant, but Demnos quells any curiosity into that line of thought quickly.

Description: Far more approachable than any of Demnos' advisers, and Demnos publicly owes Sirius his life. Sirius is Demnos's butler and bodyguard, though it's been suggested that they might have been more at one point in time. It's a well-known fact that Sirius Havenbrook was once a human being, but had slowly been transformed into the Boxing Nightmare he has become today.

Is never without his boxing gloves, and is the epitome of gentlemanly airs. A true gentleman even in the heat of combat, he can touch another with the softness of a newborn kitten or completely obliterate them with the power of a dive-bombing battleship.

Despite his size, he's also got the best footwork out of the entire game, and can be annoying to land a hit on if he's started to move about.

The monocle is actually a part of his eyesocket, for all that it doesn't look it, and the tophats usually house a backup memory storage.

Individual Units

All military units wear colors of olive green and brown. All artistic units wear colors of silver and gold. All "executive" types wear colors of silver and blue.

Soldiers - tunics with chain mail, cloth boots, half plate helm, each one comes with a gladius-style sword and full shield. Military units.

Penguins - just like soldiers, only they're penguins. Military units.

Bears - Like soldiers, only they're bears. Military units.

Scientist - Artistic units. Scientists are known for wearing the same gear on the battlefield as they do in the lab, as homage to the great Dr. Neuroid. It's generally accepted that while The Professor is the one who helped bring forth steampunk technology and the usage of steel in the Hivelands, Dr. Neuroid himself has made much progress in the way of biology, genetics and more. Uncomfortable shoes is the reason why all scientists are as unsociable as they are.

Aliens - "aliens" are slightly cheesy in how they're presented, like old-school 50's aliens with the tinfoil armor and the huge helmets, only these have tentacles. They're rather tall and can be actually strong melee, for all that they prefer their own ranged weaponry.

Giant Robo - Military unit. Giant, silver humanoid robots that walk slowly and smash down on enemies with their fists.

Cyborgs - Military unit. Humanoid creatures that are mostly flesh but usually have a limb or two (or four) replaced with metal versions of those limbs.

Dimensional Shambler - Military unit. Largest known unit available in the game, they are combinations of the chaotic necronomicons and giant robots. Resemble enormous, rotting giant robots with bits and pieces out of place all over their bodies, with extra faces and body parts here and there. It's been suggested that the inside of a Dimensional Shambler is an entrance to a dimension of livid terror.

Flying Robo - Military unit. Giant robo with an enormous jetpack.

Bomber Robo - Military unit. Giant robo with a Zeppelin on it's back. The Zeppelin fits inside of the robo, and deploys from the back as it floats up into the air, then goes horizontal and can move about that way, with it's arms out like Superman, y'know?

Mechanoid - Military unit. They look like metal humanoids. They usually ARE their own armor and don't need any extra, but great strides in robotics-Hivemind relations have made available a sleek form of lightweight metal armor that fits atop their normal clothes.

Rocketeer - Military units. Soldiers with jetpacks.

Necronomicans - Military units. See Necronomicons for specific design notes, but they're all the classic Lovecraftian ones with a few extras thrown in.

Protomystics - Artistic units. They favor light clothing and the staves of their profession, they're as old school as it gets. Every last one of them usually favors robes with hoods, and look like they belong to a bad 70's cult.

Gun Knights - Military units. Every last one of them are ripped from The Matrix. Technically Equilibrium, but both use a shitton of black trench coats and clothing, so there ya go.

Balloonist - Military units. Small zeppelins that almost resembles a hot air balloon but still has the underslung transportation bay. Unlike military units, all Balloonists and Zeppelin Bombers bear the colors of silver and black.

Zepplen Bomber - Military units. Humongoid, powerful, highly weaponized versions of the Balloonists. Unlike military units, all Balloonists and Zeppelin Bombers bear the colors of silver and black.

Tech Priests - Artistic units. Robes, sandals, pauldrons, the Protomystics can only wear light clothing (up to leathers) and they favor the more flowing, loose robes of their group. They wield only blunt weapons, but favor the control rod that allows them to channel mystical energies into constructs and SCIENCE! units.

Yeah, when casting the characters themselves I figured on Leftys and Ambis considering the kind of society they live in, they should have the ability to alter their very genes to a certain point. Hell there's mystiscism, steampunk, and bioengineering all over their society, y'know?

Plus Demnos is a Lefty. That kinda settles it.

Ll, EVERYONE loves Talos. He's a bear with a jetpack. He needs no backstory.

Back when I was messin' around with Extreme Existence: Unit 13, I used trap characters all over the place 'cuz I think it's funny. Thankfully the group that I was hanging with was into that kinda stuff, so all kindsa funny situations occurred. Fuck yeah, traps.

Indeed, you cannot beat bears who can learn martial arts and one of them has a steam-powered jetpack.

Hmmm...the situation is more like the stern-faced yet famous (and taller) sister brings you home and while she rummages around for stuff in her room, her cute lolita little sister bounces into the room, sits on your lap and starts flirting. Before she comes out, the younger sister bounces out of the room and makes you promise never to talk about it.

Over the course of your relationship with the older sister the younger sister continues to screw around with you and the whole while even if you bring up about siblings the older sister will change the subject or point-blank ignore you (by now you know she's good at stonewalling).

Finally, one day the younger sister gets you so hot and bothered that you accept her invitations...then BAM, she has a bigger dick than you.

Demnos is a sadistic asshole, and pretty much everyone else in the Legion are as well.